Breaking news:  Newcastle prepares to announce another ‘coveted’ signing, you might like him

Newcastle United made a move for Reece Byrne before the summer transfer window even opened and the Ireland under-19 international has had the chance to look around St James’ Park

Newcastle United are set to formally announce the signing of goalkeeper Reece Byrne after the Ireland youth international posed for his unveiling shots at St James’ Park.

Byrne travelled to Newcastle to sign his contract before the window even opened, back in April, but the Magpies have yet to confirm the shot-stopper’s arrival from Bohemians just yet. However, that is not unusual. Fellow countryman Cathal Heffernan, for instance, was at St James’ last week for his own photoshoot so it may well be that the club’s academy intake will be unveiled in one full swoop like years gone by.

Byrne has since had the chance to take a look around the stadium and to see his shirt hung up in the first-team dressing room. The 18-year-old’s parents were with him as he pulled on the goalkeeping jersey with ‘Byrne 1’ on the back and the Premier League badge on the sleeve for his unveiling photographs.

It will have been a proud moment for Byrne, who, in the words of Ireland under-21 boss and former Newcastle midfielder Jim Crawford, is a ‘giant’ with ‘high potential’.

“I’ve known Reece for a long time,” Crawford previously told ChronicleLive of the under-19 international. “I’ve seen him come up through St Joseph’s Boys over here in Dublin when he was playing schoolboy football.

“He’s been a sought-after goalkeeper so it’s been a good bit of business that Newcastle have done to get him on board. Like all young players, he’s got a lot of work to do on different areas of his game, but I’m sure there is a competent coaching staff at Newcastle that will identify his strengths and improvement areas that will help him reach his ceiling.”

Byrne and Heffernan are the latest Irish youngsters to join the club following the arrival of Alex Murphy from Galway United last summer. Once Irish prospects turn 18, they do not need a work permit like their counterparts from other EU nations because of the Common Travel Area agreement.